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Disney World - The Happiest Place on Earth

We have just completed our first family pilgrimage to Disney World. I had only been once (30 years ago), when I was 11. Much has changed. I cannot stress how fabulous a time we had. That's no bullshit. Disney works hard to make the experience as enjoyable for grown ups as for kids. I went into the holiday thinking that grown ups who go there must be missing something in their lives to need to lose themselves in fantasy. Having spent a week there, Disney just makes your vacation as easy and enjoyable as possible. It is possibly the most efficient corporation on Earth. If we hired them for two weeks, they'd have our Irish Water issues sorted out in within the fortnight. No lie.

Heading to Magic Kingdom on the Ferry (sunrise)

I previously thought Irish natives were a bit mad for talking up Florida so much. I mean, its just Florida. Heat, humidity and cockroaches. Maybe something's happened to me over the years living here, I don't know, but I actually got it this time. The sun was amazing. I can still smell that distinctive summer smell of chlorine, sand and sunscreen in some our clothes and my daughter's hair. We swam outside until 10pm. The absolute joy of it.

Disney's Beach Club Resort pool, April 2015

And a vast majority of the people we saw were happy. Both visitors and staff. I was surprised. People were so nice and gracious. With one exception. If you rent a pedal cart on The Boardwalk, all bets are off. All the repressed anxiety/stress people are suppressing comes right out. Usually, its funny, like the dad who, careening down a small hill with his family, shouted, "Get out of the way! I don't have insurance!" or the woman who laughing shouted, "I'M A NEW YORKER! I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DRIVE!" Sometimes its not as funny, like the elegantly dressed mum pushing a buggy with two kids, who as we passed yelled a big New York City, "FUCK YOU!" to my 8 year old daughter and I. (note: I have an extremely low excitement threshold so we were going very slow). All in all we heard some great East Coast accents and attitudes.

As exciting as it was to be there, its great to be home. I used to think that holidays existed purely for the joy of looking forward to and being away. But they are more than that. The older I get the more I take something from my holiday and bring it back into my every day life. Not just a battery recharge (although that's important), and not only a renewed appreciation for where and how I live (also great) but inspiration. I can't believe I'm typing this but being at Disney World in Florida has inspired me to step up my game a couple notches and work better.

The Disney machine does not f*ck around. In 2013, a combined total of over 50,000,000 visited the four parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Animal Kingdom & Disney's Hollywood Studios) that make up Disney World. Fifty million. For comparison, in 2013 seven million tourists visited the whole of Ireland. They have their business down to a fine tuned machine. For all those 50 million people, it is VERY clean. Not a speck of rubbish in sight. Every thing starts on time. Things work as they are meant to. Even better than that, things work in a way that exceed your expectations. And this, ultimately, is what has inspired me. I know I can work on myself more. I know I can work harder and work better at creating the best life available for me & my family. Its all out there. I don't ever have to settle for less.

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